Rihanna, the pop singer with multiple awards to her name, has been appointed women's creative director of Puma SE.

iPhones, barbecues, outdoor furniture and costumes from Disney's Frozen movie will be filling stockings next week if Trade Me search patterns are anything to go by.

Selfie sticks and remote-controlled helicopters are among some of the more popular items among Kiwis buying Christmas gifts this month.

Kiwis have spent a total of $2.3b through Paymark so far this month with Christmas spending up 4.3%

Cooks Global Foods widened its first-half loss after buying the Canadian franchise rights to Esquires Coffee Houses.

Christmas spending is off to a strong start with, up 4.4 per cent on the same time last year.

As chief toy tester and buyer for Farmers, the 31-year-old has a big role choosing which toys will be hot at Christmas.

Christmas shoppers have bent the plastic, spending a whopping $2.3 billion in the first fortnight of December.

Web retailers are offering shoppers speedy shipping, one-day upgrades and even promises to deliver last-minute orders by Christmas Day.

Kiwis increased their spending on debit and credit cards in November, with a rise in hospitality and consumable purchases.

Australian retail billionaire Solomon Lew has declared war on his Government's failure to charge GST for overseas goods bought online.

The woes of one-time market star Pumpkin Patch continue with one accounting professor saying the struggling retailer may now be worth more to shareholders broken up.

Retailers are hoping positive economic conditions will offset a blustery and wet start to the spring and summer period.

New Zealand-based Cooks Global Foods is eyeing the Australia and New Zealand market - one of the few places it does not hold the rights to the Esquires coffee shop brand.

In the shopping malls of this proud little consumer nation, the Christmas decorations have been up since October.

The $205 million development proposes to build 231 apartments on the carpark at the Alexandra Park stadium/raceway.

Kiwi retailers are today hoping to cash in on "Black Friday", America's biggest shopping day of the year, by luring consumers with promises of big discounts on goods ahead of Christmas.

NZ's largest listed retailer, affirmed its expectation for a rise in annual earnings even as sales lag heading into the key Christmas trading period.

Retail sales rose 1.5pc in the September quarter, led by food-related industries - with rises in supermarket stores and food and beverage services.

Kevin Plank started Under Armour with $15,000, some locally purchased fabric and a plan to shake up the athletic apparel industry.

The rebirth of an old market, once teeming with hippy and bohemian traders and curious customers, has lured three Aucklanders back to Victoria Park where they spent happy times as teenagers.

Call it the happy-ever-after meal. About 28 weeks ago, St Dominic's Catholic Primary School principal Daniel Pepper put a McDonald's cheeseburger on display, and he says it hasn't changed since.

When Jean Jones went into receivership in 2010, general manager at the time Gina Condon decided to take a punt on the brand and buy it.

Forty-nine per cent of five Westfield malls worth $2.1b will be sold to the Singaporean Government Investment Corporation.

The Warehouse lifted first-quarter sales 3.5pc, opening more Noel Leeming stores, and widened margins at its dominant 'Red Shed' unit.

Pak'n Save has won the latest battle in NZ's supermarket wars. So how much could you save on an average basket of groceries bought there?

Higher wages and a specialised degree are among the initiatives helping change the perception of retail from a boring job to a high-flying career, says Warehouse boss.